NMSU graduate students rally for tuition coverage
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - Dozens of New Mexico State University graduate students plan on rallied for full tuition coverage at the board of regents meeting on Monday afternoon.
"Rather than work with us to negotiate solutions, you continue to work against us," said Matthew Varakian, a student pursuing his graduate degree in astronomy. “Invest in NMSU. Pay your workers."
About 40 @nmsu grad students call for full tuition coverage ahead of the Board of Regents meeting: https://t.co/IjFQuwuG5O pic.twitter.com/EJi07IDY2T
— Kate Bieri KVIA ABC-7 (@KateBieri) March 14, 2022
Graduate students also had a petition that they say has more than 1,000 signatures in support of their cause.
“The basic necessities need to be provided to the grad workers," said Samantha Cooney, a grad student at the University of New Mexico who drove three hours in support of the NMSU students. "The bare minimum is tuition remission.”
The regents did not address the group, but they did acknowledge the hard work of the grad students.
“We are not legally allowed to speak or make comments on something that is under litigation," Regent Ammu Devasthali told ABC-7.
According to the group, graduate employees pay an average of $6,000 in tuition fees annually, which leaves their take-home pay at $12,113 annually.
According to the federal government, a person making less than $13,590 in a household of one is living below the poverty line.
"This is something NMSU has been working to address," wrote an NMSU spokesman. "In the past few months, we believe we have made some real progress in identifying some possible solutions and we look forward to presenting this information to our stakeholders and working with them to find a resolution.”
